Carrie

carrie slayed.

Carrie was so beautiful but I felt the shower scene was super unnecessary and how they depicted highschool girls naked at the beginning was just not needed. But carrie had like extreme religious trauma and everyone was horrible to her for no reason, I think she deserved better!

I’d never seen this movie but knew a lot of the plot and some scenes felt drawn out because of that. But I could see them being effective for those who don’t know what happens. Loved the camera and sound work, very unnerving and claustrophobic.

my prom wasn't this eventful

q

Another classic checked off the list! While I can see why Carrie is so influential, I have to admit it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me—at least not in a positive way. A lot of that, I think, comes down to the era it was made in. Certain scenes dragged on way too long, the slap sound effects were distractingly fake, and the visual effects didn’t age particularly well. The music, which would blast randomly at full volume, felt jarring rather than suspenseful. And then there was that infamous spinning shot during the prom scene—an extended 360-degree dolly shot that made me so dizzy I actually had to look away. Maybe all of this felt groundbreaking in the ’70s, but watching it now, those elements really disrupted the experience for me. That said, Carrie isn’t without its strengths. I loved the theatrical, over-the-top performances—they gave the film an almost operatic intensity. It was refreshing to see actors who actually looked like teenagers, not 30-year-olds playing high schoolers. The writing also deserves credit for not spoon-feeding the audience; it gives you room to reflect, especially on Carrie’s character and her trauma. Visually, despite some technical flaws, there’s a distinct vibe I genuinely enjoyed—the vintage outfits, big hairstyles, and that soft, almost dreamlike ‘70s color palette. One scene I especially liked was when the gym teacher makes one of the girls jog in place. They used a split-diopter shot there, which allows both the foreground and background to be in sharp focus. It’s a technique I didn’t care for in other moments, but it worked beautifully in that scene to emphasize the tension and power dynamics. As for the plot, I think the film does a remarkable job of making you sympathize with Carrie. You root for her, even when everything unravels. Sissy Spacek was perfectly cast—her fragile presence and quiet intensity made the character unforgettable. While the story may seem more basic by today’s standards, back in 1976, it was genuinely groundbreaking. Carrie helped redefine what horror could be—personal, psychological, and deeply unsettling—and it laid the groundwork for a lot of what we now take for granted in modern horror.